Ignác Mihályi

Title page of the edition of Ignác Mihályi's opus magnum Storm on Lake Balaton op.4 (published by Universal Edition)

Ignác Mihályi [ ˈiɡnaːts ˈmihaːji ] (* 1843 in Kalocsa ; † 1886 there ) was a Hungarian composer .

He composed various salon pieces for piano.

His most famous work "Storm on Lake Balaton " op. 4 (Hungarian: A Balaton háborgása ) is the core of an anecdote :

Anecdote: winds over Lake Balaton

Countess Anastasia was a passionate pianist who liked to show her skills in societies. During a festival, however, she got into an embarrassing situation because she could not hold back the wind due to excessive consumption of gastric food .

So that the sound of the pressure being released could be drowned out, she sat down at the piano without further ado and performed Ignác Mihályi's piece Storm on Lake Balaton .

At the loudest point she let you go, nobody heard anything. The concert was a great success, applause and applause, but those present were amazed at the bestial smell that hung in the room afterwards.

After opening the windows, the celebration could continue. Unfortunately, Countess Anastasia had the same symptoms after half an hour, so she sat down at the piano again and played the rousing work again - for those who were late the first time and had not been able to listen.

Again everything went smoothly, no one seemed to have noticed anything, only the unpleasant smell was in the air again.

When, after another half hour, the Countess started to sit down at the piano again, Count Gyula Andrássy , a close confidante of Empress Sisi , spoke up:

“Countess Anastasia, you have given us great pleasure twice this evening with your wonderful piano playing. Why don't you play the piece 'Storm on Lake Balaton ' again. But this time please leave out this loud passage in the composition where lightning strikes the latrine . "